Republicans don’t support digital privacy?

Is this really what Republicans support – enabling internet service providers to snoop on users without their consent and sell the data to marketers? Apparently so. The GOP-led Congress narrowly approved a bill last week rolling back Federal Communication Commission privacy regulations, and President Trump is expected to sign it. No Democrats voted for the bill. GOP supporters say the bill would level the playing field between broadband companies like AT&T and Cox and content companies like Google and Facebook. But the watchdog group MapLight.org questioned whether their support had more to do with the millions of dollars telecommunications companies have donated to their campaigns in recent years. Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Overland Park, was the only member of the Kansas delegation to vote against the bill. “We don’t want the government having access to our information without our consent,” Yoder said, “and the same goes for private business.” Or at least it should. – Phillip Brownlee

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